Franklin County prosecutors proved that Shults showed "cool
deliberation" - required in a first-degree murder conviction -
prior to the murder of Marsch.

Amber Marsch spoke to the court before the sentence was
read.

"Deborah Marsch was my mother, my everything, best friend,
confidant and rock. . ." she said. "She could lighten up your day
just by having a two minute conversation with her."

Shults confessed to police on Sunday, July 5, 2009, that he
killed the woman, then took detectives to the location where he
dumped her body off Judith Spring Road.

During police interviews, the suspect said he did not know
Marsch but that he was angry and she was "in the wrong place at the
wrong time."

Amber Marsch described Shults' actions as "evil."

"The only justice would be you having to endure the same evil
the rest of your life," she said to Shults prior to sentencing.

Deborah Marsch had been missing for two days when authorities
questioned Shults about an unrelated incident. Police knew Shults
would sometimes go to Autumn Hill Park and asked about the woman's
disappearance.

A bench trial in front of Judge Wood was held June 29 through
July 1.

Arguments

Shults had waived a jury trial and was tried in a bench trial,
and in exchange the Franklin County Prosecutor's office agreed to
not seek the death penalty for Shults.

During the trial, Robert Wolfrum, the public defender who
represented Shults, said Shults did not show deliberation in the
murder of Marsch.

He also blamed Shults' actions on depression and a syndrome that
causes anxiety caused by medication.

Franklin County prosecutors said Shults reacted calmly enough to
drag Marsch's body from the murder scene to the parking lot of
Autumn Hill Park, put her body in the bed of his truck and drive it
to the site where the body was dumped.

Shults then removed Marsch's clothing and dumped it in a
different area so it would be harder to identify Marsch,
prosecutors said.